How Important is a Strong AI to You?

[snoopy369]

Option 2. I don't care about the uber-hard AI; I play Madden on whatever is the highest level I can still win at. I want to win, ultimately, but I'd like to have a somewhat challenging time doing it ...

[Solver]

To me, the AI is the most important element of the game. Enough said.

[kolpo]

Personality and uniqueness of leaders and their goals/startegy is more important for me then a strong AI. SMAC it's AI was not as good as the civ3 one, but the leaders had so much personality and acted very differently.

I want some civilizations who very aggresively push there favorite civics and other who very aggresively push there religion. Leaders who explain to you why slavery is much more enlightened then emancipation or democracies who form alliances to liberate the rest of the world from tyranny. While other civilizations would be completely opportunistic and just join the side that is best for their economy

I want leaders and nations with personalities, not carbon copies with a different name. This is much more important for me then how good the AI is.

[yin26]

What's interesting to me is that, even at a place like Poly, 60% of the votes so far are NOT for a killer AI. I had suspected this to be the case, but it's interesting watching the votes and the reasonings come in.

[GeoModder]

Needing months to figure out how to win a game is a no-go to me.
Give people *some* feeling of adequacy in their everydays live.

[yin26]

LOL! This is an interesting gamer's dynamic that I have underestimated. I feel this way about FPSs (I want to kill all the bad guys and be done with it), and, to some extent with RTSs (the inability to play the game in easy-to-consume segments makes me want to win and be done with it).

But my TBS games I like to be real puzzlers. Anyway, I'm learning something from this poll!

[Aeson]

The first two options. I want the killer AI that doesn't rely on bonuses. I expect something challenging due to bonuses until it's figured out, then generally beatable thereafter.

[Freddz]

Kolpo,

you hit the nail.
And it would be nice to be able to sleep well after beating the higher levels a little more often.
Screw the civ-experts!
I misvoted. Option 2 for me!

[Nacht]

Why would anyone choose anything else than option 1

For more relaxing gameplay there are lower difficulty levels. Or do you just want to say you've beaten the highest difficulty?

[Fried-Psitalon]

My option isn't there:

Not at all. I'd rather play humans, who are more adaptable and skilled than any AI.

[Harovan]

I guess many voters (including me) were just misled and though the various options would mean difficulty levels. That teaches us not to read an opening post carefully.

[Ninot]

I voted killer

I want an AI that can suprise me, and that I can never predict. I want to be in a constant struggle to win, never some assured thing. I like games that come down to the wire.

[Freddz]

Originally posted by Nacht
Why would anyone choose anything else than option 1

For more relaxing gameplay there are lower difficulty levels. Or do you just want to say you've beaten the highest difficulty?

We all want a great game. But how important is the A.I. to making it great compared to other stuff that bring gameplay value. That's how I answered.
Important, but not quite as important as other stuff.

[Raebad]

This is PRECISELY what difficulty settings are for. Ideally, The hardest level(s) would satisfy players that like Option 1, The medium difficulty level would satisfy players that like Option 2, and the easiest settings would be there for those that like Options 3 and 4.

You're right about Civ2, by the way: It was so much fun because you thought you were a genius for beating it on Deity, but you were actuallly just exploiting the weak AI (and the game).

BTW, would anyone else keep reloading saved games during battles until their unit did maximum damage? Uh, me either...

[Addled Platypus]

suprises are a good thing

who here changes the AI agressive level?